To mark the occasion of International Women’s Day, RBL Bank, under its CSR initiative – UMEED 1000, has donated 100 bicycles to the underprivileged girl children in Kolkata. On 14th March the Bank held the donation drive in the presence of Dr. Shashi Panja, Hon’ble Minister-in-charge, Department of Women and Child Development and Social Welfare and Department of Industry, Commerce and Enterprises, Prof. Leena Gangopadhyay, Chairperson, West Bengal Commission for Women, Ms. Krishna Chakraborty, Mayor, Bidhan Nagar Municipal Corporation, Ms. Sanghamitra Ghosh, Principal Secretary, Department of Women and Child Development and Social Welfare and senior representatives from RBL Bank.
The girls showed high enthusiasm as they assembled at FD Block, Sector 3, Bidhannagar to receive the bicycles. The beneficiaries were identified by the Bank directly with the support of the West Bengal Commission for Women and District Magistrate of South 24 Parganas, Howrah, Hooghly & North 24 Parganas, Kolkata.
One of the major reasons for children dropping out of School is distance. This initiative will provide the much-needed means of transport to increase access to education. The bicycles will help the girl-children go to school in a way that is both energy-efficient and environmentally sustainable. RBL Bank, one of India’s leading private sector banks, is distributing over 1000 bicycles and school-kits across India, including Kolkata, Hyderabad, Raipur, Chennai, Kolhapur, Guwahati, Siliguri and Goa.
Commenting on the initiative, R Subramaniakumar, Managing Director and CEO, RBL Bank, said, “True to our mission of ‘Community as the Cause’, we stand fully committed to help the marginalized communities with our unique CSR outreach programmes. The world over, education is the key to unlocking a brighter future for girls. By facilitating access to education, we can break down barriers that prevent young girls from achieving their dreams.”
“We are committed to serve our society through our CSR initiatives. UMEED 1000 sopports underprivileged girls to pursue their school education. We also support several NGOs who are working for women empowerment”, said Mr. Deepak Gaddhyam, Head of Branch & Business Banking, RBL Bank.